SEC Makes Terrorism-Link Info Available to Investors

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has added to its Web site a tool that permits investors to obtain information directly from company disclosure documents about their business interests in countries the U.S. Secretary of State has designated “State Sponsors of Terrorism.″

According to the announcement, the online information comes from the companies’ most recent annual reports as filed with the SEC. “No investor should ever have to wonder whether his or her investments or retirement savings are indirectly subsidizing a terrorist haven or genocidal state. The law already requires companies to report on any material activities in a country the Secretary of State has formally designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism. Our role is to make that information readily accessible to the investing public,” said SEC Chairman Christopher Cox, in the announcement.

Users can go to the Investor Information section of the SEC’s home page and click the tab for “State Sponsors of Terrorism’ to see a menu of terrorism-sponsor countries. Clicking on any of those countries will bring up a menu of the companies whose 2006 annual reports disclose business activities in that country, the SEC announcement said. By clicking on the name of a company users will be linked directly to pertinent portions of that company’s annual report.

The Web site will be continuously updated to reflect the receipt of new SEC filings or changes to the Department of State’s list of countries.